Regional overview

CEE/CIS Region (Central and Eastern Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States) has 20 countries and the UN-Administered Province of Kosovo. It is a vast geographical region of great diversity. More than one in four citizens is under the age of 18—108 million children in a population of 406 million people. Teenagers in CEE/CIS today were born in the years around the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. They have grown up as a “transition generation” in a time of unprecedented change.

Map of the region with the population under 18

The status of the transition towards democratic governments and market economies varies by country and subregion in CEE/CIS. The dissolution of communist rule resulted in a rapid deterioration of economic and social conditions across the region. At the same time, many financial and social support systems shrank dramatically and some disappeared entirely. Signs of social stress appeared in most countries, manifested in tensions between religious and ethnic groups, and increased drug and alcohol abuse—factors that contribute to poverty, family breakdown and violence. Migration, often seen as a pathway out of poverty, actually has a contradictory effect for many children and women, contributing to the number of children ending up in public care. Lack of legal migration opportunities have contributed to a rise in both the vulnerability of children to human trafficking.

* This map does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers.

FACT SHEET 2003
Total population	406,157,000
Population under 18	107,963,000
Population under 5	25,526,000

The State of the World's Children 2005

Definitions and data sources
[UNICEF's global site]

Overall, children in the region have become more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in the wake of deteriorating social and economic capacities. Public social services in transition—including health, education and social welfare—are struggling to provide adequate support to families and children at risk. Although economic growth continues in the region overall, government expenditures on health, education, and social welfare remain very low: some CEE/CIS countries spend less than 1% of GDP on health. It is estimated that between one quarter and one third of children in the region are deprived of access to quality services and an adequate standard of living.

There are a number of situations that require humanitarian action. For example, there are approximately 2.6 million internally displaced persons in the region. (Graph) There is also a wide range of problems arising from cross-border and internal conflicts, ethnic tensions, natural disasters and environmental issues.

UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2005 (link)

Regional situation in CEE/CIS